Product Description:

Audio Mixer: Michael Caffery.

Recording information: San Jose Improv (05/2003).

Photographer: Marc Pitanza.

Just like Emo Philips, whether you're going to enjoy a Bobcat Goldthwait album or not depends on your ability to stomach his delivery. He's toned it down quite a bit since his last album came out 11 years previously, but there's enough of his tense oafishness to drive away the nonbelievers. He'll never be accused of being serene, but Goldthwait seems quite a bit more centered than most will remember. I Don't Mean to Insult You, But You Look Like Bobcat Goldthwait draws quite a bit from the comedian's experience as a huge star in the early '90s and a "whatever happened to" guy in the 2000s. He handles it well, aware that the Seinfeld era isn't the perfect time for his style, and he's ultra-appreciative of his audience (his exit on the album is actually kinda heartwarming). Most of the material is topical, but a routine based around the Fabio versus a goose incident sounds like it's well past the expiration date. Riffing on Katie Couric and Jay Leno's distaste for him is particularly funny, and the opening explanation for the Hollywood Squares firing is a highlight. The biggest surprise is how often he goes off the script and just jaws with the audience. It's very entertaining and in some strange way he seems at peace with himself and his place in the world. Or at least as at peace as the director of Shakes the Clown can be. ~ David Jeffries